Tag: Payer Relations
AAHomecare promotes Cadie McGonagill, realigns payer relations team
October 15, 2026HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – AAHomecare has promoted Cadie McGonagill to vice president of managed care and government payers. In her new role, she will lead the association’s advocacy strategy and engagement with Medicare Advantage plans, managed care organizations, and other government payers to advance access to care and strengthen patient-centered coverage policies. “Cadie McGonagill brought deep payer relationships and industry knowledge to this role, and her promotion to vice president reflects...
TBO promotes payer expert to continue expanding Service Hub
September 2, 2026HME News Staff
LAS VEGAS – Tactical Back Office (TBO) has promoted Lauren Barranti to vice president of payor relations. In this new role, she will continue to expand the company’s Service Hub, which provides clients with executive-level expertise in contracting and negotiations, credentialing, provider enrollment, reimbursement optimization, compliance support and strategic payer relationship management. The Hub, leveraging TBO's fully trained health care professionals, provides health care organizations...
Payer relations: Show up prepared
August 11, 2026Cadie McGonagill
Q. How do I work with payers to resolve billing issues?
A. Getting billing issues resolved with payers isn't about who complains loudest – it's about who shows up prepared. A little homework upfront turns a frustrating back-and-forth into a productive conversation.
Know your contract
Before reaching out, review your payer agreement for denial and appeal rights, filing deadlines and required documentation. Timelines vary by plan type and can be short, so missing a window can...
Payer relations: Speak their language
July 6, 2026Cadie McGonagill
Q. How do I use data to successfully negotiate with payers?
A. Let’s be honest, walking into a payer negotiation without data is like showing up to a job interview without a resume. You need to tell your story with numbers.
Start with what makes you different. Do you reduce re-hospitalizations? Get patients set up faster? Have above industry compliance rates? Quantify it. Payers respond to cost avoidance and member satisfaction, so speak their language.
Bring market benchmarks to the...
Payer Relations: Approach negotiations strategically
June 10, 2026Cadie McGonagill
Q. What do I need to know about navigating payer contracts?
A. A payer contract is far more than just a fee schedule. The terms included within these agreements directly impact your cash flow, operational processes and long-term business viability. Before signing any contract, your team (along with qualified legal counsel) should conduct a comprehensive review of the agreement.
Key contract elements to review
Coverage scope: Confirm the product category, service area and plan types align...
Reliable Medical invests in proactive approach to payer relations
April 3, 2026Liz Beaulieu, Editor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Connecting and building trusted relationships with payers is too often a reactive exercise, when it should be proactive, says Brendan Swift, the new vice president of payer relations at Reliable Medical.
“When and if an issue comes into play, it’s extremely important that you have foundational trust and connection built with your partner,” said Swift, whose previous experience includes 10 years within the complex rehab technology (CRT) and HME industry...
Crowds grow at Medtrade as industry seeks greater clarity
March 3, 2026Liz Beaulieu, Editor
PHOENIX – Early numbers from Medtrade underscore the strong demand in the home medical equipment (HME) industry for guidance on competitive bidding, artificial intelligence (AI), payer contracting and more.
Show Director Kayla McGarry reports that the industry’s largest trade show, which featured more than 70 education sessions on Tuesday alone, saw a 14% increase in conference attendees this year.
The Exhibit Hall, which opened Tuesday morning, showcased more than 360 exhibitors.
“We...
Q&A: Cadie McGonagill on smarter contracting
August 15, 2025HME News Staff
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - HME providers need to think beyond units and widgets and dig deeper into the terms of the contracts. They also need to nurture their relationships with payers, says Cadie McGonagill, who recently joined AAHomecare as senior director of payer relations.
McGonagill, who has more than two decades of leadership experience in managed care contracting, reimbursement strategy and payer engagement, most recently at Lincare, spoke with HME News about payer best practices.
HME...
AAHomecare expands payer relations team with ‘HME pro’
July 15, 2025HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – Cadie McGonagill has joined AAHomecare as senior director of payer relations. McGonagill, who most recently served as vice president of managed care for Lincare, brings more than two decades of leadership experience in managed care contracting, reimbursement strategy and payer engagement to the association. “We’re excited to add another experienced HME pro to our roster and further strengthen our payer relations and state-level advocacy capabilities,” said Tom...
Melanie Ewald: ‘My vision is to develop a roadmap'
May 16, 2025Liz Beaulieu, Editor
WATERLOO, Iowa – Melanie Ewald is looking forward to digging into payer relations and reimbursement work on an industry level in her new role at VGM & Associates.
“Being able to use my expertise to educate stakeholders but also engage and interact with HME providers directly – this kind of role was always one that was attractive to me,” said Ewald, who was recently named vice president of payer relations and reimbursement for the company. “It’s both the...